Angelina Jolie shows her mastectomy scars publicly for first time: ‘I share them with women I love’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Angelina​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Jolie shared how she dealt with her mastectomy scars after her breast cancer prevention operation in a recent interview with TIME France, which got people talking about the prevention of breast cancer and body image.

As a part of a larger talk about health, body image, and measures to prevent diseases, Jolie talked about her ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌emotional experience.

Jolie, 50, who earned an Academy Award for her portrayal of a troubled woman in a psychiatric facility in 'Girl, Interrupted' and is best known for films like 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' and 'Mr and Mrs Smith', is also known as an activist for worthy causes in Hollywood and beyond and was previously married to Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013

In​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ 2013, Jolie had a double mastectomy as a preventive measure. She spoke to TIME France about her decision to show her scars in the magazine and explained her reasons for it.

“I share these scars with many women I love,” she said. “And I'm always moved when I see other women share theirs.”

“I wanted to join them, knowing that TIME France would be sharing information about breast health, prevention, and knowledge about breast cancer," she continued, PEOPLE translated.

Angelin Jolie’s mother died from breast cancer

Jolie's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from breast cancer in 2007 when she was only 56 years old.

After Jolie found out that she was carrying the BRCA1 gene, which highly increased her risk of getting breast cancer, she made up her mind to have a double mastectomy.

The announcement of the decision was made by her in a New York Times article titled ‘My Medical Choice’ in 2013.

“I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy,” Jolie wrote.

“But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” she continued.

With TIME France, Jolie talked about how she wants BRCA screenings to be available to all women.

“Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices: genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history,” Jolie said.

“When I shared my experience in 2013, it was to encourage informed choices,” she noted.